Bipolar Disorder

The Food and Drug Administration has approved several generic formulations of the atypical antipsychotic aripiprazole, the agency announced April 28.

Aripiprazole was approved in 2002 for the treatment of schizophrenia and is marketed as Abilify by the Otsuka Pharmaceutical. It is now also approved for indications that include bipolar disorder. Multiple dosage forms and strengths of generic aripiprazole have been approved, according to the FDA statement.

The generic manufacturers are Alembic Pharmaceuticals, Hetero Drugs, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Torrent Pharmaceuticals.

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The Food and Drug Administration has approved several generic formulations of the atypical antipsychotic aripiprazole, the agency announced April 28.

Aripiprazole was approved in 2002 for the treatment of schizophrenia and is marketed as Abilify by the Otsuka Pharmaceutical. It is now also approved for indications that include bipolar disorder. Multiple dosage forms and strengths of generic aripiprazole have been approved, according to the FDA statement.

The generic manufacturers are Alembic Pharmaceuticals, Hetero Drugs, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Torrent Pharmaceuticals.

[email protected]

The Food and Drug Administration has approved several generic formulations of the atypical antipsychotic aripiprazole, the agency announced April 28.

Aripiprazole was approved in 2002 for the treatment of schizophrenia and is marketed as Abilify by the Otsuka Pharmaceutical. It is now also approved for indications that include bipolar disorder. Multiple dosage forms and strengths of generic aripiprazole have been approved, according to the FDA statement.

The generic manufacturers are Alembic Pharmaceuticals, Hetero Drugs, Teva Pharmaceuticals, and Torrent Pharmaceuticals.

[email protected]

WASHINGTON – Only 20% of women of childbearing age taking antiepileptic drugs also received a folate prescription, a small study revealed – but a brief intervention helped boost the rate above 60%.

Folic acid supplementation is de rigueur for women of childbearing age – and especially important in very early pregnancy. The need appears even greater in women who take antiepileptic drugs, many of which increase the risk of birth defects.

Despite current recommendations for folic acid supplementation in all women, prescription by neurologists seems low, according to Dr. Brian D. Moseley of the University of Cincinnati.

“We wanted to look at the rates of the prescription of folic acid to women on antiepileptic drugs who were seen in our general neurology clinic,” Dr. Moseley explained.

In an interview at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Dr. Moseley discussed the study’s findings, how a brief intervention with the clinic’s physicians increased folic acid prescription rates, and which folic acid dosages may be optimal.

[email protected]

WASHINGTON – Only 20% of women of childbearing age taking antiepileptic drugs also received a folate prescription, a small study revealed – but a brief intervention helped boost the rate above 60%.

Folic acid supplementation is de rigueur for women of childbearing age – and especially important in very early pregnancy. The need appears even greater in women who take antiepileptic drugs, many of which increase the risk of birth defects.

Despite current recommendations for folic acid supplementation in all women, prescription by neurologists seems low, according to Dr. Brian D. Moseley of the University of Cincinnati.

“We wanted to look at the rates of the prescription of folic acid to women on antiepileptic drugs who were seen in our general neurology clinic,” Dr. Moseley explained.

In an interview at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Dr. Moseley discussed the study’s findings, how a brief intervention with the clinic’s physicians increased folic acid prescription rates, and which folic acid dosages may be optimal.

[email protected]

WASHINGTON – Only 20% of women of childbearing age taking antiepileptic drugs also received a folate prescription, a small study revealed – but a brief intervention helped boost the rate above 60%.

Folic acid supplementation is de rigueur for women of childbearing age – and especially important in very early pregnancy. The need appears even greater in women who take antiepileptic drugs, many of which increase the risk of birth defects.

Despite current recommendations for folic acid supplementation in all women, prescription by neurologists seems low, according to Dr. Brian D. Moseley of the University of Cincinnati.

“We wanted to look at the rates of the prescription of folic acid to women on antiepileptic drugs who were seen in our general neurology clinic,” Dr. Moseley explained.

In an interview at the annual meeting of the American Academy of Neurology, Dr. Moseley discussed the study’s findings, how a brief intervention with the clinic’s physicians increased folic acid prescription rates, and which folic acid dosages may be optimal.

[email protected]

Metabolic syndrome was significantly more prevalent in patients with bipolar disorder than in those with major depressive disorder or in controls, Barbora Silarova, Ph.D., and her coauthors reported.

In a study of 2,431 patients the investigators found that those with bipolar disorder had a significantly higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome, compared with patients with major depressive disorder and nonpsychiatric controls (28.4% vs. 20.2% and 16.5%, respectively; P < .001). This difference was consistent when adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, Dr. Silarova and her colleagues said in the paper.

“Clinically, it might be relevant to apply individualized treatment for [bipolar disorder] patients that also includes assessment of metabolic risk factors, psychoeducation, weight loss intervention, and improvement of health-related behaviors,” the authors said.

Read the full article in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research here.

Metabolic syndrome was significantly more prevalent in patients with bipolar disorder than in those with major depressive disorder or in controls, Barbora Silarova, Ph.D., and her coauthors reported.

In a study of 2,431 patients the investigators found that those with bipolar disorder had a significantly higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome, compared with patients with major depressive disorder and nonpsychiatric controls (28.4% vs. 20.2% and 16.5%, respectively; P < .001). This difference was consistent when adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, Dr. Silarova and her colleagues said in the paper.

“Clinically, it might be relevant to apply individualized treatment for [bipolar disorder] patients that also includes assessment of metabolic risk factors, psychoeducation, weight loss intervention, and improvement of health-related behaviors,” the authors said.

Read the full article in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research here.

Metabolic syndrome was significantly more prevalent in patients with bipolar disorder than in those with major depressive disorder or in controls, Barbora Silarova, Ph.D., and her coauthors reported.

In a study of 2,431 patients the investigators found that those with bipolar disorder had a significantly higher prevalence of metabolic syndrome, compared with patients with major depressive disorder and nonpsychiatric controls (28.4% vs. 20.2% and 16.5%, respectively; P < .001). This difference was consistent when adjusted for sociodemographic and lifestyle factors, Dr. Silarova and her colleagues said in the paper.

“Clinically, it might be relevant to apply individualized treatment for [bipolar disorder] patients that also includes assessment of metabolic risk factors, psychoeducation, weight loss intervention, and improvement of health-related behaviors,” the authors said.

Read the full article in the Journal of Psychosomatic Research here.

Women with bipolar disorder exhibit a higher lifetime prevalence of unplanned pregnancies when compared to healthy women, according to a study in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Eliana Marengo of Favaloro University in Buenos Aires compared 63 women with type I, II, or non-specified bipolar disorder between the ages of 18-55 to 63 healthy controls. “In our sample, near 80% of pregnancies were planned among healthy control women but 33% were intended in the [bipolar] group. Conversely, one third of pregnancies were unplanned among [bipolar women] while just 7% occurred within control women group,” Dr. Marengo and her associates wrote.

In addition, women with bipolar disorder were more likely to report elective interruption of pregnancies than the general study population, with 42.4% of subjects reported having voluntarily terminated a pregnancy, compared with 13.5% of healthy controls of similar socioeconomic status.

“Clinicians must be aware of the reproductive health and take measures to improve better family planning access when treating” young women with biipolar disorder, the researchers wrote.

Read the entire article here: Journal of Affective Disorders 178 (2015) 201–205 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.02.033)

Women with bipolar disorder exhibit a higher lifetime prevalence of unplanned pregnancies when compared to healthy women, according to a study in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Eliana Marengo of Favaloro University in Buenos Aires compared 63 women with type I, II, or non-specified bipolar disorder between the ages of 18-55 to 63 healthy controls. “In our sample, near 80% of pregnancies were planned among healthy control women but 33% were intended in the [bipolar] group. Conversely, one third of pregnancies were unplanned among [bipolar women] while just 7% occurred within control women group,” Dr. Marengo and her associates wrote.

In addition, women with bipolar disorder were more likely to report elective interruption of pregnancies than the general study population, with 42.4% of subjects reported having voluntarily terminated a pregnancy, compared with 13.5% of healthy controls of similar socioeconomic status.

“Clinicians must be aware of the reproductive health and take measures to improve better family planning access when treating” young women with biipolar disorder, the researchers wrote.

Read the entire article here: Journal of Affective Disorders 178 (2015) 201–205 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.02.033)

Women with bipolar disorder exhibit a higher lifetime prevalence of unplanned pregnancies when compared to healthy women, according to a study in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

A team of researchers led by Dr. Eliana Marengo of Favaloro University in Buenos Aires compared 63 women with type I, II, or non-specified bipolar disorder between the ages of 18-55 to 63 healthy controls. “In our sample, near 80% of pregnancies were planned among healthy control women but 33% were intended in the [bipolar] group. Conversely, one third of pregnancies were unplanned among [bipolar women] while just 7% occurred within control women group,” Dr. Marengo and her associates wrote.

In addition, women with bipolar disorder were more likely to report elective interruption of pregnancies than the general study population, with 42.4% of subjects reported having voluntarily terminated a pregnancy, compared with 13.5% of healthy controls of similar socioeconomic status.

“Clinicians must be aware of the reproductive health and take measures to improve better family planning access when treating” young women with biipolar disorder, the researchers wrote.

Read the entire article here: Journal of Affective Disorders 178 (2015) 201–205 (http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.jad.2015.02.033)

Increased impulsive behavior is a risk factor for bipolar disorder, according to Dr. Michèle Wessa and her associates.

Both high-risk groups studied -- relatives of bipolar disorder patients and study participants with high Hypomanic Personality Scale scores -- demonstrated heightened impulsivity and impulsive decision making, compared with the low-risk control groups. No signficant difference in response inhibition was seen between any of the study groups.

“The knowledge derived from this and other studies helps in the assessment of early inventions in participants at risk, who develop the disorder by. . .training them to make less impulsive decisions, which might prevent them from a progression on the bipolar spectrum,” the investigators concluded.

Find the full study in the Journal of Affective Disorders (doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.02.018).

Increased impulsive behavior is a risk factor for bipolar disorder, according to Dr. Michèle Wessa and her associates.

Both high-risk groups studied -- relatives of bipolar disorder patients and study participants with high Hypomanic Personality Scale scores -- demonstrated heightened impulsivity and impulsive decision making, compared with the low-risk control groups. No signficant difference in response inhibition was seen between any of the study groups.

“The knowledge derived from this and other studies helps in the assessment of early inventions in participants at risk, who develop the disorder by. . .training them to make less impulsive decisions, which might prevent them from a progression on the bipolar spectrum,” the investigators concluded.

Find the full study in the Journal of Affective Disorders (doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.02.018).

Increased impulsive behavior is a risk factor for bipolar disorder, according to Dr. Michèle Wessa and her associates.

Both high-risk groups studied -- relatives of bipolar disorder patients and study participants with high Hypomanic Personality Scale scores -- demonstrated heightened impulsivity and impulsive decision making, compared with the low-risk control groups. No signficant difference in response inhibition was seen between any of the study groups.

“The knowledge derived from this and other studies helps in the assessment of early inventions in participants at risk, who develop the disorder by. . .training them to make less impulsive decisions, which might prevent them from a progression on the bipolar spectrum,” the investigators concluded.

Find the full study in the Journal of Affective Disorders (doi: 10.1016/j.jad.2015.02.018).

Patients with bipolar and a greater number of comorbidities had greater difficulties in emotion regulation in several categories, including poor acceptance and differentiation of emotion, difficulties with inhibiting impulsive actions, and using appropriate regulation strategies to modulate emotions, than did their nonbipolar peers, according to a small-scale investigation published in Psychiatry Research.

Dr. Tamsyn E. Van Rheenen of Swinburne University, Melbourne, and associates used the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the General Behaviour Inventory (GBI), a multidimensional measure of difficulties in emotion regulation, to characterize the emotion regulation profile of 50 patients with bipolar disorder, compared with 52 healthy controls. The researchers noticed that impulse control difficulties were a predictor of hypomania propensity, whereas poor access to mood regulation strategies were linked to depression.

“A better understanding of the emotion regulation difficulties experienced by patients with BD can guide the development of new treatment strategies that may ultimately improve outcomes in the disorder. … It is possible that this measure may be efficacious as a diagnostic tool to assess emotion regulation in patients with the disorder,” the authors wrote.

Read the full article in Psychiatry Research here: doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2014.12.001.

Patients with bipolar and a greater number of comorbidities had greater difficulties in emotion regulation in several categories, including poor acceptance and differentiation of emotion, difficulties with inhibiting impulsive actions, and using appropriate regulation strategies to modulate emotions, than did their nonbipolar peers, according to a small-scale investigation published in Psychiatry Research.

Dr. Tamsyn E. Van Rheenen of Swinburne University, Melbourne, and associates used the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the General Behaviour Inventory (GBI), a multidimensional measure of difficulties in emotion regulation, to characterize the emotion regulation profile of 50 patients with bipolar disorder, compared with 52 healthy controls. The researchers noticed that impulse control difficulties were a predictor of hypomania propensity, whereas poor access to mood regulation strategies were linked to depression.

“A better understanding of the emotion regulation difficulties experienced by patients with BD can guide the development of new treatment strategies that may ultimately improve outcomes in the disorder. … It is possible that this measure may be efficacious as a diagnostic tool to assess emotion regulation in patients with the disorder,” the authors wrote.

Read the full article in Psychiatry Research here: doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2014.12.001.

Patients with bipolar and a greater number of comorbidities had greater difficulties in emotion regulation in several categories, including poor acceptance and differentiation of emotion, difficulties with inhibiting impulsive actions, and using appropriate regulation strategies to modulate emotions, than did their nonbipolar peers, according to a small-scale investigation published in Psychiatry Research.

Dr. Tamsyn E. Van Rheenen of Swinburne University, Melbourne, and associates used the Difficulties in Emotion Regulation Scale (DERS) and the General Behaviour Inventory (GBI), a multidimensional measure of difficulties in emotion regulation, to characterize the emotion regulation profile of 50 patients with bipolar disorder, compared with 52 healthy controls. The researchers noticed that impulse control difficulties were a predictor of hypomania propensity, whereas poor access to mood regulation strategies were linked to depression.

“A better understanding of the emotion regulation difficulties experienced by patients with BD can guide the development of new treatment strategies that may ultimately improve outcomes in the disorder. … It is possible that this measure may be efficacious as a diagnostic tool to assess emotion regulation in patients with the disorder,” the authors wrote.

Read the full article in Psychiatry Research here: doi:10.1016/j.psychres.2014.12.001.

Patients with bipolar disorder I respond to neutral and negative stimuli less accurately than do first-degree relatives of bipolar patients or a control group, Dr. Gianna Sepede and her associates report.

The investigators recruited euthymic bipolar I outpatients, unrelated first-degree relatives of bipolar I subjects, and controls aged 18-55 years. Other than age, the inclusion criteria were right-handedness and an IQ of greater than 70.

Participants were shown colored pictures from the International Affective Picture System. Stimuli generated by a computer were projected over a screen. The participants were told to press a “yes” or “no” button when they were able to see items such as plants and flowers inside neutral or negative pictures on the screen. They were asked to rate the unpleasantness of negative stimuli on a range of 1 (not unpleasant at all) to 9 (extremely unpleasant).

Both the group of first-degree relatives and the control group were about 6% more accurate than was the BD-I group when responding to both neutral and negative stimuli; overall accuracy stood at 87% for the group of relatives and control group and 81% for the BD-I group. In addition, no significant difference was found in response time, with the group of relatives actually having a slightly slower response time than did those in the BD-I group (1,084 milliseconds vs. 1,073 milliseconds vs. 1,036 milliseconds for control group).

A potential explanation for the findings is that “unaffected relatives of BD-I succeeded in maintaining a good “overt” behavioral performance (to correctly identify “targets”) through a high activation of prefrontal areas during neutral stimuli. As a consequence, diminished prefrontal resources were available for the “covert” processing of negative emotions, and occipital regions were hyperactivated to compensate this deficit,” the investigators said, cautioning that this conclusion was still speculative.

Find the full study in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry (doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.01.016).

Patients with bipolar disorder I respond to neutral and negative stimuli less accurately than do first-degree relatives of bipolar patients or a control group, Dr. Gianna Sepede and her associates report.

The investigators recruited euthymic bipolar I outpatients, unrelated first-degree relatives of bipolar I subjects, and controls aged 18-55 years. Other than age, the inclusion criteria were right-handedness and an IQ of greater than 70.

Participants were shown colored pictures from the International Affective Picture System. Stimuli generated by a computer were projected over a screen. The participants were told to press a “yes” or “no” button when they were able to see items such as plants and flowers inside neutral or negative pictures on the screen. They were asked to rate the unpleasantness of negative stimuli on a range of 1 (not unpleasant at all) to 9 (extremely unpleasant).

Both the group of first-degree relatives and the control group were about 6% more accurate than was the BD-I group when responding to both neutral and negative stimuli; overall accuracy stood at 87% for the group of relatives and control group and 81% for the BD-I group. In addition, no significant difference was found in response time, with the group of relatives actually having a slightly slower response time than did those in the BD-I group (1,084 milliseconds vs. 1,073 milliseconds vs. 1,036 milliseconds for control group).

A potential explanation for the findings is that “unaffected relatives of BD-I succeeded in maintaining a good “overt” behavioral performance (to correctly identify “targets”) through a high activation of prefrontal areas during neutral stimuli. As a consequence, diminished prefrontal resources were available for the “covert” processing of negative emotions, and occipital regions were hyperactivated to compensate this deficit,” the investigators said, cautioning that this conclusion was still speculative.

Find the full study in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry (doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.01.016).

Patients with bipolar disorder I respond to neutral and negative stimuli less accurately than do first-degree relatives of bipolar patients or a control group, Dr. Gianna Sepede and her associates report.

The investigators recruited euthymic bipolar I outpatients, unrelated first-degree relatives of bipolar I subjects, and controls aged 18-55 years. Other than age, the inclusion criteria were right-handedness and an IQ of greater than 70.

Participants were shown colored pictures from the International Affective Picture System. Stimuli generated by a computer were projected over a screen. The participants were told to press a “yes” or “no” button when they were able to see items such as plants and flowers inside neutral or negative pictures on the screen. They were asked to rate the unpleasantness of negative stimuli on a range of 1 (not unpleasant at all) to 9 (extremely unpleasant).

Both the group of first-degree relatives and the control group were about 6% more accurate than was the BD-I group when responding to both neutral and negative stimuli; overall accuracy stood at 87% for the group of relatives and control group and 81% for the BD-I group. In addition, no significant difference was found in response time, with the group of relatives actually having a slightly slower response time than did those in the BD-I group (1,084 milliseconds vs. 1,073 milliseconds vs. 1,036 milliseconds for control group).

A potential explanation for the findings is that “unaffected relatives of BD-I succeeded in maintaining a good “overt” behavioral performance (to correctly identify “targets”) through a high activation of prefrontal areas during neutral stimuli. As a consequence, diminished prefrontal resources were available for the “covert” processing of negative emotions, and occipital regions were hyperactivated to compensate this deficit,” the investigators said, cautioning that this conclusion was still speculative.

Find the full study in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry (doi: 10.1016/j.pnpbp.2015.01.016).

Patients with bipolar disorder who participated in a collaborative care intervention demonstrated more improvement in functioning and quality of life than controls who received care as usual, Dr. Trijntje Y.G. van der Voort and coauthors at the VU University Medical Center department of psychiatry in Amsterdam report.

In an analysis of 138 adult patients with bipolar disorder over 12 months, those randomized to collaborative care showed more improvement in functioning than did patients in the control group, with a small effect size (ES = 0.3; z = -2.5, P = .01). Additionally, patients in the collaborative care group improved more in the physical health domain of quality of life (ES = 0.4; z = 2.5; P = .01), the authors reported.

The findings suggest that collaborative care is “a promising intervention” that could help patients with bipolar disorder improve functioning, physical health, and quality of life, Dr. van der Voort and colleagues said in the report.

Read the full article published in the Journal of Affective Disorders here: doi:10.1016/j.jad.2015.03.005.

Patients with bipolar disorder who participated in a collaborative care intervention demonstrated more improvement in functioning and quality of life than controls who received care as usual, Dr. Trijntje Y.G. van der Voort and coauthors at the VU University Medical Center department of psychiatry in Amsterdam report.

In an analysis of 138 adult patients with bipolar disorder over 12 months, those randomized to collaborative care showed more improvement in functioning than did patients in the control group, with a small effect size (ES = 0.3; z = -2.5, P = .01). Additionally, patients in the collaborative care group improved more in the physical health domain of quality of life (ES = 0.4; z = 2.5; P = .01), the authors reported.

The findings suggest that collaborative care is “a promising intervention” that could help patients with bipolar disorder improve functioning, physical health, and quality of life, Dr. van der Voort and colleagues said in the report.

Read the full article published in the Journal of Affective Disorders here: doi:10.1016/j.jad.2015.03.005.

Patients with bipolar disorder who participated in a collaborative care intervention demonstrated more improvement in functioning and quality of life than controls who received care as usual, Dr. Trijntje Y.G. van der Voort and coauthors at the VU University Medical Center department of psychiatry in Amsterdam report.

In an analysis of 138 adult patients with bipolar disorder over 12 months, those randomized to collaborative care showed more improvement in functioning than did patients in the control group, with a small effect size (ES = 0.3; z = -2.5, P = .01). Additionally, patients in the collaborative care group improved more in the physical health domain of quality of life (ES = 0.4; z = 2.5; P = .01), the authors reported.

The findings suggest that collaborative care is “a promising intervention” that could help patients with bipolar disorder improve functioning, physical health, and quality of life, Dr. van der Voort and colleagues said in the report.

Read the full article published in the Journal of Affective Disorders here: doi:10.1016/j.jad.2015.03.005.

Verbal fluency deficiencies and certain white matter abnormalities are potential biomarkers of bipolar disorder, according to Isabelle E. Bauer, Ph.D., and her associates.

The investigators found that patients with bipolar disorder performed worse on verbal fluency tests than did the healthy control group, and generated fewer S-words and animal names. Meanwhile, patients with bipolar disorder also showed large areas of altered fractional anisotropy, and mean and radial diffusivity (RD) values in several sections of the brain, including the superior and anterior corona radiata and the corpus callosum. Altered RD also was associated with reduced visuomotor capability and progressive demyelination.

“The reported impairment in verbal fluency and changes in [white matter] integrity in fiber tracts connecting to the internal capsule, the corona radiata, and the corpus callosum may serve as cognitive and neural markers of BD [bipolar disorder],” the investigators concluded.

Find the full study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research (2015;62:115-22 [doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.01.008]).

Verbal fluency deficiencies and certain white matter abnormalities are potential biomarkers of bipolar disorder, according to Isabelle E. Bauer, Ph.D., and her associates.

The investigators found that patients with bipolar disorder performed worse on verbal fluency tests than did the healthy control group, and generated fewer S-words and animal names. Meanwhile, patients with bipolar disorder also showed large areas of altered fractional anisotropy, and mean and radial diffusivity (RD) values in several sections of the brain, including the superior and anterior corona radiata and the corpus callosum. Altered RD also was associated with reduced visuomotor capability and progressive demyelination.

“The reported impairment in verbal fluency and changes in [white matter] integrity in fiber tracts connecting to the internal capsule, the corona radiata, and the corpus callosum may serve as cognitive and neural markers of BD [bipolar disorder],” the investigators concluded.

Find the full study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research (2015;62:115-22 [doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.01.008]).

Verbal fluency deficiencies and certain white matter abnormalities are potential biomarkers of bipolar disorder, according to Isabelle E. Bauer, Ph.D., and her associates.

The investigators found that patients with bipolar disorder performed worse on verbal fluency tests than did the healthy control group, and generated fewer S-words and animal names. Meanwhile, patients with bipolar disorder also showed large areas of altered fractional anisotropy, and mean and radial diffusivity (RD) values in several sections of the brain, including the superior and anterior corona radiata and the corpus callosum. Altered RD also was associated with reduced visuomotor capability and progressive demyelination.

“The reported impairment in verbal fluency and changes in [white matter] integrity in fiber tracts connecting to the internal capsule, the corona radiata, and the corpus callosum may serve as cognitive and neural markers of BD [bipolar disorder],” the investigators concluded.

Find the full study in the Journal of Psychiatric Research (2015;62:115-22 [doi: 10.1016/j.jpsychires.2015.01.008]).

Adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder had an increased likelihood of attempted suicide, compared with adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder only (3.0% vs. 1.1%, respectively), according to research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Dr. Wen-Hsuan Lan of Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan and associates identified 500 adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder and ADHD between 15 and 24 years old, who were selected from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database between 2002 and 2008. In addition to exploring the link between ADHD and attempted suicide in patients with bipolar disorder, the researchers also noted that patients with bipolar disorder and ADHD had a higher prevalence of anxiety disorder (25.6% vs. 15.8%; P = .001) and disruptive behavior disorders (13.2% vs. 2.7%; P = .001) than did those with bipolar disorder alone.

“In contrast to the results of these previous studies, our results suggested that ADHD is an independent risk factor for attempted suicide among patients with bipolar disorder after adjustment for demographic factors, anxiety disorder, disruptive behavior disorders, alcohol use disorders, and substance use disorders,” the researchers wrote. Read the entire article here: J. Affect. Disord. 2015;176:171-5.

Adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder had an increased likelihood of attempted suicide, compared with adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder only (3.0% vs. 1.1%, respectively), according to research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Dr. Wen-Hsuan Lan of Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan and associates identified 500 adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder and ADHD between 15 and 24 years old, who were selected from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database between 2002 and 2008. In addition to exploring the link between ADHD and attempted suicide in patients with bipolar disorder, the researchers also noted that patients with bipolar disorder and ADHD had a higher prevalence of anxiety disorder (25.6% vs. 15.8%; P = .001) and disruptive behavior disorders (13.2% vs. 2.7%; P = .001) than did those with bipolar disorder alone.

“In contrast to the results of these previous studies, our results suggested that ADHD is an independent risk factor for attempted suicide among patients with bipolar disorder after adjustment for demographic factors, anxiety disorder, disruptive behavior disorders, alcohol use disorders, and substance use disorders,” the researchers wrote. Read the entire article here: J. Affect. Disord. 2015;176:171-5.

Adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder had an increased likelihood of attempted suicide, compared with adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder only (3.0% vs. 1.1%, respectively), according to research published in the Journal of Affective Disorders.

Dr. Wen-Hsuan Lan of Taipei Veterans General Hospital in Taiwan and associates identified 500 adolescents and young adults with bipolar disorder and ADHD between 15 and 24 years old, who were selected from Taiwan’s National Health Insurance Research Database between 2002 and 2008. In addition to exploring the link between ADHD and attempted suicide in patients with bipolar disorder, the researchers also noted that patients with bipolar disorder and ADHD had a higher prevalence of anxiety disorder (25.6% vs. 15.8%; P = .001) and disruptive behavior disorders (13.2% vs. 2.7%; P = .001) than did those with bipolar disorder alone.

“In contrast to the results of these previous studies, our results suggested that ADHD is an independent risk factor for attempted suicide among patients with bipolar disorder after adjustment for demographic factors, anxiety disorder, disruptive behavior disorders, alcohol use disorders, and substance use disorders,” the researchers wrote. Read the entire article here: J. Affect. Disord. 2015;176:171-5.